Empty your Soul
by coyjoy
Summary: Set during Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry has returned from his summer holidays as a different boy to the one who left. Depressed and alone, he hides his secrets from those around him while his friends and professors fight to save Harry from himself. TW contains destructive behaviour, self-harm and child abuse. Lupin, Dumbledore, McGonagall (and maybe Snape) mentor Harry.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** This plot came to me as I was rereading PoA. I have the first few chapters ready to go and a plan for the rest of the story so update will arrive soon! Please read and review. Disclaimer: not mine.

The door into the Great Hall was open on the right and Harry followed the crowd towards it, eager to join his classmates at the feast. He, Hermione and Ron continued through the entrance hall when he heard a voice.

"Potter. Granger. I want to see you both." The trio looked up to see Minerva McGonagall calling to them over the sea of students. Harry and Hermione fought their way towards her, glancing at each other in confusion.

"I just wanted a quick word with you two in my office, nothing to worry about" she said by way of explanation and gestured for the two of them to follow her. Professor McGonagall strode purposefully down the corridors and held open her door for the two students to precede her through the entrance. Harry looked it around, he was usually only ever summoned to the office of his head of house when he was in some sort of trouble. Harry and Hermione shuffled into seats opposite her desk, Hermione looking as confused as Harry felt. He wracked his brains but couldn't think of anything and glanced at his stern professor nervously.

"You are not in trouble Potter...for once. I dare say that won't last long, however." She sighed. "No. Professor Lupin sent word about your rather eventful train journey..."

McGonagall was interrupted by a soft rap at the door, to which she replied "Come in Poppy!" Madam Pomfrey bustled through the door and Harry turned to glare at his Professor.

"I'm fine." Harry groaned, his face growing red and panic rising inside his chest. The two women ignored him.

"Honestly, setting dementors loose around a school, what is the ministry thinking?" Madam Pomfrey said crossly, pushing back Harry's hair. "Yes, yes he's all clammy. He wont be the first to collapse, Minerva. Awful effect they have on children, especially those who are already delicate."

"I'm not delicate!" Harry bristled.

"Of course you're not" the matron replied, absentmindedly. She attempted to reach down to his wrist to check his pulse but Harry yanked his arm away. He jerked away from her and made to get up, knowing full well that his arms were off limits to the woman unless he wanted to end up in St. Mungo's with Gilderoy Lockhart. She looked at him and said

"Potter, don't make this difficult" in a warning tone.

"I'm FINE. Professor Lupin gave me some chocolate." He said, the panic starting to show in his cracking voice. Madam Pomfrey huffed and looked at Professor McGonagall for backup. The teacher looked at Harry and raised her eyebrows.

"If you refuse to be examined, I will have you spending the entire feast in the hospital wing Potter." McGonagall said, sounding resolutely unimpressed. Harry looked at Hermione and said "I'll see you later" before standing and storming out of the room.

Both staff members called after him through the slammed door but he ignored them, stalking away from the office angrily. Madam Pomfrey packed up her bag and went back to the hospital wing, muttering about students never knowing what was good for them.

"Well, Miss Granger, I had called you here to discuss the arrangements we've made for your class attendance this year but I suppose that will have to wait until tomorrow while I go look for Potter. Do you have any idea what's gotten into him?" She asked, a look of concern striking her features. Hermione's eyebrows crumpled together and shook her head, saying

"I'm not entirely sure, Professor. I know he had a tough time with his relatives this summer...but I suppose that's nothing knew. I mean, what with him blowing up his aunt, he must've been really angry at them about something though."

McGonagall sighed and dismissed Hermione, who headed back towards the Great Hall. After a quick search of Gryffindor tower, the library, the kitchens and the astronomy tower, she realised she was not going to find her pupil alone and started to grow concerned.

McGonagall hurried back towards the Great Hall, where dessert was being served and relayed the information to the Headmaster who looked at her seriously.

"Well, I'm sure he can't have gone far, Minerva." Dumbledore smiled, reassuringly.

"The boy can't be wandering around alone with Sirius Black on the loose, Albus!" She said, her features marred with worry. Dumbledore stood and dismissed the students but gestured to the professors to remain seated. Once all of the students had left for their dormitories, the headmaster sighed and addressed the staff.

"Harry Potter is somewhere in the grounds, given the threat posed by Sirius Black it is imperative that he be found. We will need to search the castle."

"So, precious Potter has decided to go for a walk and now it's our job to chase after the insolent boy" drawled Professor Snape.

"Severus, if you would search the dungeons." Dumbledore continued, choosing to ignore Snape's complaints. "Minerva, if you could assist him. Myself, Remus, Flitwick and Pomona can search the main castle. Hagrid, would you check the Quidditch pitch and perhaps the Owlery? Aurora, Septima and Charity could you search a tower each? I will ask the ghosts and house elves to assist, if you find Harry simply send a message to me through them."

And with that, the staff of Hogwarts split up in search of the boy-who-lived.

Oblivious to the concern for his whereabouts, Harry was sat on a rather lumpy and uncomfortable boulder on the far side of the Black Lake. He found himself watching the reflection of the castle ripple across the water in front of him. Despite being back at Hogwarts, Harry still felt miserable and couldn't quite put his finger on why. His stomach churned painfully and he felt himself start to shiver in the cool September air. Harry sighed, knowing he should return to the warmth of the castle. For some reason, he didn't feel quite ready to face everyone yet. Ron would just ask too many questions, Hermione would tell him off for disrespecting a teacher and he didn't even want to think about the number of detentions McGonagall would give him for walking out of her office like that. It was still better than thinking about what a check up in the hospital wing would've shown. Harry leaned back and winced as the wounds on his back twinged. Yes, he was definitely better off without Pomfrey finding out about the marks littered all over his back. Or the bruises on his chest. Or the scars on his arms.

Harry felt tears start to well up in his eyes and swiped them away quickly, chiding himself for being so pathetic. He pushed up his sleeve and pulled out his wand. A simple slicing charm provided the release he so desperately craved. He waited for the bleeding to stop and then pulled his jumper back down over his arm. The temperature had really started to drop now and Harry was certain that he had stayed out past curfew. He cursed himself for passing out on the train in the first place. He was conflicted. He didn't want to go back to the castle and find himself stuck in the hospital wing. He equally didn't want to stay out here and freeze to death. Come to think of it, would that be so bad? To just, not have to wake up tomorrow or face his professors and friends. He decided freezing wouldn't be a particularly pleasant way to die, however, and shook himself from the morbid thoughts that were starting to overtake Harry's mind more and more frequently. He sat for a while longer, unaware of a figure approaching him until it was entirely too late.

"Harry" the person called in a gentle voice. He twisted around quickly, his mouth pursing as the wounds on his back gave him another sharp reminder of his summer holidays. The figure stepped out of the shadows and Harry recognised it as Professor Lupin. He didn't seem angry but concern weighed heavily on the man's features. The man sent a shot of light out of his wand and Harry looked at him, puzzled.

"I'm just letting the staff know that you're okay, you've had a lot of people worried tonight, Harry." He said, sitting down next to him and conjuring a fleecy purple blanket which settled around Harry's shoulders.

"I just needed some space. I think those dementors earlier really shook me up." Harry said quickly, the guilt causing his chest to tighten slightly.

"Yes, they are among the foulest creatures to walk this earth. They cause us to relieve our worst memories, spreading depression and despair. They affect some more than others, I'm afraid. You, with such unimaginable horrors in your past, are bound to have a stronger response to them." Lupin spoke out to the water. Harry looked up at the professor.

"How much trouble am I in?" He asked. Lupin cracked a smile.

"Quite a bit I would imagine. Shades of your father if I may add, Harry."

"You knew my Dad?" Harry said, incredulously.

"Oh yes, he was quite the troublemaker. We were friends in school. And your mother too, we were all in the same year. In fact, I...I knew you as a baby, Harry." Lupin said, slightly painfully. Harry stared at him, a small smile creeping on his face.

"Could you...could you tell me about them sometime? I don't know that much about him, my relatives aren't exactly their biggest fans." He said, cautiously. Lupin looked down at him and nodded.

"For now though, Harry, I think I should probably escort you back to your dormitory." He said firmly and moved to stand. Harry followed him reluctantly towards the castle.

"You're not going to make me go to the hospital wing, are you Professor?" Harry asked as they walked. Lupin looked at him slightly suspiciously but shook his head, emitting a sigh of relief from Harry. Once they reached the portrait hole, Lupin gave the password and the Fat Lady swung open to reveal an empty common room. Empty except for one Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. They leaped up from their spots by the fire, launching a tirade at him.

"HARRY!"

"Where have you been??"

"We've been worried sick!"

Lupin clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder and bid him goodnight, leaving him to his friends inquisition. Hermione stood with her hands on her hips, clearly waiting for a response.

"I just needed some time on my own...I'm really tired, can we talk about this in the morning?" Harry said, feigning a yawn. His friends looked at each other, clearly not wanting to wait until the morning. But before they could even process what he'd said, Harry was already heading up the stairs to bed. The 3 other boys in his dormitory were fast asleep and Neville was snoring softly. He shrugged off his robe and lay down on his bed, shutting his curtains with a flick of his wand before Ron could come up. He didn't bother to remove the rest of his uniform, knowing he wouldn't be getting much sleep.

Harry awoke early the next morning, before the sun had even come up. He rubbed his eyes and swung his legs over the side of his bed. He looked jealously at his friends who were all sleeping soundly, he couldn't remember the last time he'd slept properly. Harry dressed quickly in a sweater and shorts, slipping his feet into the running trainers he had bought last week in Diagon Alley. He crept out of Gryffindor tower and down towards the entrance hall. The castle was quiet apart from the ghosts floating around who greeted him jovially. He had almost made it out the door to the grounds without bumping into anyone when his least favourite teacher skulked out of the shadows.

"Potter." Snape spat. Harry turned slowly on his heel to face him,

"Sir." He said, glaring towards the potions master.

"What exactly do you think you are you doing?" Snape asked, annunciating each word individually, his voice full of hatred.

"Going for a run." Harry shrugged.

"Ah yes, Prince Potter. Wandering around the grounds as if he owns the place, complete disregard for his safety and leaving us mere servants to chase around after him." Snape seethed. Harry didn't have the energy to find a retort and simply stared at Snape before turning on his heel and walking out the large oak doors. Snape called after him "I did _not_ dismiss you, Potter!" But Harry broke into a sprint and pretended not to hear.

He ran down towards the Quidditch pitch, deciding to deal with the consequences of ignoring Snape later. Once he reached the pitch, he began to run laps around it. His stomach growled angrily as he had not eaten anything since the chocolate on the train last night. He pushed through it and forced his tired legs to keep propelling themselves forward. Once he grew bored of the Quidditch pitch, he did a circuit of the black lake and then ran up the seemingly endless run of steps from the boathouse. His body was exhausted but Harry ignored every bit of discomfort. Once he reached the top he stopped and leant over the railing. He stared down at the steep drop longingly before shaking the dark thoughts from his mind. turning round to look at sunlight creeping across the castle that he called home. What he didn't see was Albus Dumbledore peering out at him through his office window. The headmaster watched the boy with growing concern, he looked thin and exhausted. He kept his eyes on him until the boy moved inside and out of sight.

Harry made his way back up to Gryffindor tower to shower and change. He dressed quickly as he knew the others would be waking up soon and he did not want them to see the marks criss crossing his back. Once in his robes, he decided he should probably eat something and headed to the Great Hall. It was near empty, save for a few Ravenclaws huddled around a pot of tea and some of the Professors. Looking up towards the staff table, he saw Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape whose heads snapped up at his entry. His stomach dropped as he remembered he was likely in a fair bit of trouble. He grabbed a banana from a fruit bowl on the nearest table and walked quickly back through the doors. He half-ran up the marble staircase and headed for the library. He found a sunlight-lit armchair by the window and, grabbing a book on defensive charms, curled up in it to read. He devoured his banana quickly, not realising how hungry he had been.

Eventually he stirred at the sound of the first bell and realised he would need to hurry if he wanted to grab his bag and make it to class on time. He realised he didn't actually know what his first class as he had not been present to receive his timetable during breakfast. Luckily, he managed to catch Ron and Hermione as they were heading out from the Great Hall. They headed off to Transfiguration together, Harry faking a smile and laughing along with his friends. Deep down he was dreading seeing McGonagall but he knew he'd have to face the music eventually. During the class, Harry struggled to focus on their task of turning a rabbit into a slipper. His efforts were abysmal, his rabbit simply becoming slightly flattened, but McGonagall seemed to let him off. He thought he might just get away with the events of the yesterday but, just as the lesson was coming to an end, he was called to stay behind. Harry shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot as his peers left the room and waited for McGonagall to begin.

"Would you care to explain last night to me, Potter?" She said sternly. Harry looked at his feet and decided to roll out the same line that he had used on Lupin last night.

"I...it was just the dementors, Professor. They upset me more than I realised... I should've listen to you and Madam Pomfrey, I'm sorry." Harry burst out quickly, his professor didn't seem that convinced so Harry continued, running a hand through his hair "I heard screams, when the dementors came in. Before I passed out, all I could here was a woman...screaming. I think it was the sound of...of Voldemort murdering my mum." Harry's voice cracked on the last word.

At this, McGonagall's face dropped and she placed a hand on Harry's arm, he could've sworn her eyes grew a little watery at his admission.

"Yes, yes of course Potter. We were all just concerned about you, especially given the Sirius Black situation. Should you need to get some fresh air after hours again, I simply ask that you don't go alone." McGonagall said, slightly apologetically. Harry nodded, still looking at the floor.

"Are you certain you don't need to go to the hospital wing?" She asked.

"Yes, Professor." Harry said, slightly too quickly, but his professor seemed satisfied enough and dismissed him. He hurried to Charms and slid into the seat his friends had saved for him. While they were practicing a warming charm, he explained to Hermione and Ron that he was just upset and embarrassed last night about the dementors visit. They seemed happier now that he had opened up to them. The rest of the day carried on without much incident but it was the next day when things began to go downhill.

From the minute Harry entered the damp, dingy potions classroom he knew it was going to be a bad afternoon. Harry knew Snape hated him but this class brought with it an entirely new level of contempt. Snape mercilessly took points and taunted Harry, who had to bite his cheeks to prevent him from talking back. But when Snape sabotaged his potion by casually slipping an extra peppermint leaf into his cauldron, Harry couldn't stay calm any longer. He slammed his knife on the table and glared up at Snape.

"Zero, Potter." Snape tutted. Harry muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" The potions master goaded. "Would you care to share some words of wisdom from the boy-who-lived with the rest of the class?"

"I called you a slimy git, Sir" Harry said sweetly, putting extra effort into the last word. The class shifted around him, trying not the laugh. Hermione drew a sharp intake of breath and grabbed Harry's wrist in warning.

"Detention, Potter." Snape hissed.

"But I was just answering your question, Professor? How can I be punished for stating a fact?"

Snape appeared to implode before him. His eyes were practically bulging out of his skull, his nostrils flaring and his eyes narrowed to slits. Harry didn't care, he felt untouchable. There was nothing Snape could do to him to make Harry's life any worse than it already was. Appearing to collect himself, Snape twisted his mouth and managed to spit out

'30 points from Gryffindor. Get out of my classroom, go straight to the headmasters office and wait for me there."

Harry gathered his textbooks and headed out the door, slamming the door loudly behind him. He was tempted to find a good hiding spot but he knew that this time he definitely couldn't run from his punishment. He started to make his way towards Dumbledore's office but realised once he was outside that he didn't know the password. Somehow, Dumbledore must've known of his presence because, not a moment after he arrived, the gargoyle sprung aside and allowed Harry entrance. He climbed the stairs and knocked on the door to the office. He heard a quiet "Enter" in response and opened the door to find Dumbledore leaning on the windowsill, peering out at the lake below. He didn't look up but said "Sit down, Harry" sounding tired. Harry took a seat and waited for the Headmaster to speak.

 **RR XOXO**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Hi guys! I've been overwhelmed with the response to this fic, thank you to everyone for taking time to read it. I have the storyline down** **and have a fair bit already written so I'm aiming to update at least once per week. This is a pretty personal fic for me, one of the lines Dumbledore says here is exactly what a teacher once said to me back in my school days- extra points to anyone who can guess which one! Anyway, onwards with the story!!**

After what seemed like an eternity but was probably more like a minute, Dumbledore moved from the window and settled himself in the high backed chair at his desk. He peered at Harry above his glasses, who looked at his feet to avoid those sharp, piercing blue eyes.

"Your professors all seem to be quite concerned about you, Harry." Dumbledore sighed. Harry opened his mouth to say something but realised he had no idea what to say in explanation so promptly shut it again.

"They say you seem disconnected from everything and everyone. It's also been noted that your concentration is practically non-existent and that your class work is nowhere near its usual standard. Far from it, in fact. Looking at you here before me, I must say that I am quite inclined to agree with them." Dumbledore continued.

"I'm fine, Professor. Really." Harry said, defensively.

"I might believe you Harry but all the evidence before me leads me to quite the opposite conclusion. You are much too thin, you are not eating and you look like you have not slept properly in weeks. Your eyes have no life in them, Harry. You look like a child who is, quite frankly, done with the world and everything in it." Dumbledore said, his piercing eyes still trained on the boy in front of him. "Let us help you, Harry. Don't keep pushing us away."

Harry shook his head and tried to hide the tears threatening to fall by pinning his chin to his chest. He was just about to spill everything he'd been bottling in to Dumbledore when Severus Snape crashed through the office door.

"That BOY is out of control, Albus. I have never, NEVER, been treated with such disrespect in my classroom. I won't have it, Dumbledore. I want him out." He spat the last four words, glaring at Harry who had used Snape's dramatic entrance as an opportunity to swipe at his watery eyes. Dumbledore simply stood from his chair and moved around to lean against the desk, a sigh escaped his lips. Harry said nothing but his jaw jutted out in quiet defiance of Snape's words.

"I believe there are some...ah, extenuating circumstances at play here, Severus. Allowances must be made." Dumbledore said seriously and Harry looked up, shocked at the headmasters response.

"ALLOWANCES!" Severus spluttered, before recollecting himself. "Of course, allowances must be made for the chosen one, precious little Potter can't possibly be expected to live up to the consequences of his actions."

"I did not say there would be no consequences, Severus." The Headmaster said, regarding Harry for a moment "you will come here to serve the first of your detentions with me tomorrow evening immediately after your last class, Mr Potter. Do not be late. You may go."

Harry practically ran from the room, not quite believing his luck. He could hear Snape shouting at Dumbledore from 3 corridors away. He made his way towards Gryffindor Tower where he found Ron and Hermione. They ran up to him and he relayed what Dumbledore had said, leaving out the conversation prior to Snape's arrival. Ron declared that it was "bloody brilliant" whereas Hermione dove straight into her usual lecture.

"Honestly Harry, you've gotten so lucky. You can't speak to Snape like that, you could have gotten into so much trouble!" She winced.

"He's fine. Plus, it was worth it to see the look on Snape's face when you called him a git." Ron smiled. "I'm going to imprint it into my mind forever."

With that, the three of them headed downstairs to the Great Hall for dinner, chatting happily. Harry didn't eat much at dinner, choosing instead to push his food around the plate. This wasn't missed by Hermione but she chose to ignore it for now, not wanting to ruin Harry's good mood. After dinner, Harry headed down to the Quidditch pitch for training. Fred and George, like the rest of the school, had heard about Harry's potion lesson and clapped him on the back for his bravery. After a motivational speech from Oliver, the team got up in the air. It felt magnificent to be up on a broom again. The wind lifted his Quidditch robes to trail behind him and he felt like there was nothing up here that he could not do. He twisted and turned, chasing the practice snitch until it became too dark to play. The team assembled back on solid ground, where Wood discussed their training schedule for the week before they all headed back to the locker rooms. Harry didn't want to change out of his Quidditch gear in front of everyone so quickly grabbed his bag and excused himself, heading quickly up towards the castle. He couldn't keep hiding his scars forever and resolved to head to the library to see what he could find that might help him. He found the small section at the back on human transfiguration, picking out a book titled Transformative Concealment Spells. He figured there must be something in here which he could adapt to his needs.

Harry began to flick through the book which he quickly discovered held an overwhelming level of detail within its pages. He knew it was very advanced magic; normally only taught at N.E.W.T. Level. Harry eventually found one that he though might work which was originally intended to conceal facial scarring but the book said it could be used on any part of the body. He grabbed a piece of parchment from his bag and tapped his wand on the textbook, copying the information onto the parchment. Harry placed the book back and went to the nearest bathroom so that he could practice in private. He stood in front of the mirror and pointed at his arm.

"Vulnus velius" he spoke clearly and felt a slight tingle on his arm. He lifted up his jumper slightly to see that his scars were still visible but much less red. He continued with the incantation until the scars on both arms were completely hidden. Feeling rather pleased with himself, he resolved to work on the scars on his back tomorrow as the time was already approaching curfew. Harry, shoving his wand in his pocket, left the bathroom and walked quickly up to Gryffindor Tower.

He joined Ron and Hermione as they worked on their Charms homework until they all became too tired to focus on feather-light spells and retreated to bed. Ron fell asleep quickly, his soft snores echoing around the room almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Harry twisted in his sheets, his thoughts racing through his head at 100 miles per hour. He pondered what Dumbledore would have him do in his detention tomorrow. He knew it would be a lot better than whatever Snape would have had him doing. He wondered whether Dumbledore would be able to sense his concealment spells but thought it was worth the risk. He couldn't have anyone, especially not Dumbledore, finding out that the boy-who-lived was starting to question whether he wanted to, in fact, live. Harry pulled a blade from his bedside table and pressed it into his skin, hissing as he felt blood pouring down his wrists. He cast a quick cleaning charm and wrapped an old tshirt around the wound. Exhausted and feeling slightly dizzy, Harry shut his eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.

He woke at around 4am, his stomach growling. He forced himself to get out of bed and into the shower. The hot water beat painfully into the open welts on his back. Once he was dressed for the day, Harry grabbed his invisibility cloak and headed for an early morning walk. He silently made his way down to his spot by the lake and lay down with his eyes towards the sky. He watched the sky slowly lighten, the sun beginning to shine through the clouds. He shut his eyes for just a second but when he opened them again the sun had risen well over the mountains. Harry looked at his watch and realised he must've fallen asleep, the time was almost 10 o'clock. Harry swore under his breath and rushed off to his first class, Transfiguration. He knew it would be almost over but at least he could get there in time to apologise to Professor McGonagall and prevent her from sending out another search party. By the time he had reached her classroom, he was out of breath and sweating. The class were all practicing a new spell as Harry walked in, McGonagall looked up from her desk and stared at Harry crossly.

"Sorry Professor, I...I slept in" Harry said quickly.

"Sit down, Potter. I will see you after class." She replied, cooly. Harry quickly slid into his seat next to Ron who hissed

"Where have you been? Hermione's been worrying herself silly."

"I'll explain later." Harry whispered back and began copying down his friends notes. All too quickly, the lesson was over and Harry walked sheepishly towards the desk at the front of the room.

"You overslept, Mr Potter?" McGonagall asked seriously.

"Yes Professor, I'm really sorry." Harry said quietly.

"Then would you care to tell me how exactly you managed a lie in, given that your roommates have already informed me that none of them saw you this morning, asleep or otherwise?" She said, her nostrils flaring.

"I...I woke up early and couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a walk. I must've fallen asleep by the lake." Harry explained, looking at the stone-tiled floor the entire time.

"I believe we have already discussed why it is not wise for you to be wondering around the grounds alone out of hours, Potter." McGonagall said, angrily. Harry took a deep breath, he had forgotten about that.

"It won't happen again, Professor." Harry said, meeting her eyes. The woman seemed satisfied,

"Yes, see that it doesn't, Mr. Potter. 5 point from Gryffindor will be taken for your tardiness. You may leave." She said, looking back down at the paper she was marking. Harry turned quickly and headed towards the door when she heard McGonagall call him back.

"Oh, and Potter? Do see that you get an early night, won't you? You look dreadful, lie in or not." She said softly. Harry nodded and left for History of Magic.

He explained to Ron and Hermione about his little nap while Professor Binns droned on and on about Earnit the Ugly. His two friends looked at each other concernedly but chose not to comment. Binns' lecture was interrupted only by the loud growling of Harry's stomach, protesting his lack of breakfast. Once the dreadfully boring class was over, they headed to their first Defence Against The Dark Arts excitedly. When they arrived, Lupin told them to put away their books, informing them that today's class would be entirely practical. The class gathered around a small wardrobe, which appeared to be shaking slightly. Each student took it in turn to face the boggart inside with Lupin offering lots of praise to the eager third years. When Harry stepped up to the boggart, the room became unnaturally cold. Harry froze, looking at the dementor before him with wide eyes. He heard screams in his ears and Uncle Vernon shouting 'BOY!'. Harry was powerless to do anything as the world around him went black. He fell to the floor with a thud as the students around him gasped. Lupin quickly stored the boggart back in the cupboard and, when his attempts to rouse Harry failed, he conjured a stretcher which carried Harry from the room. He turned to dismiss the class before walking briskly to the hospital wing with Harry floating alongside. He called for Poppy once he arrived, who bustled out of her office and gestured for Lupin to place him on the bed.

"What's he done this time?" The matron asked tiredly while she began examining him.

"We were studying boggarts today, unfortunately Harry's boggart took the form of the dementor." Lupin said, rubbing his face worriedly. Harry started to wake up and Pomfrey summoned a hot chocolate out of this air, ready to give to the boy. When Harry opened his eyes he stared up at the high ceiling. It was a ceiling he recognised all too well from his various Quidditch accidents. Panicking, Harry sat bolt upright and made to get out of bed. 2 pairs of arms on each side pushed him back down, he looked around and realised the arms belonged to Madam Pomfrey and Professor Lupin. He squirmed to try to escape their grip and winced as Lupin tightened the grip on his forearm pressing painfully on last nights cut.

"Potter!" Pomfrey said sternly, pulling him out of his panic. "There is no need for the melodrama. You simply need to drink this hot chocolate and then you may leave. Honestly, you'd think I was running some sort of torture chamber down here."

Harry relaxed slightly and leant back, taking the steaming mug from the matron. He gave Lupin a small smile in apology and took a sip from cup. He felt warmth spreading through his body, right down to the tips of his fingers and toes. He took another long gulp and his eyes suddenly felt very heavy. _Hold on a minute_ , Harry thought. Why did he feel so sleepy? He realised all too late that the mug didn't only contain hot chocolate and he felt the mug being pulled from his hands as he tried to fight the sleeping potion. He kicked his legs as much as he could manage but it was useless. The world around him went black once again.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hi! Sorry it's taken me a while to update and thank you so much for sticking with me! I had so much of this story written but I just wasn't happy with the flow of my chapters SO I have rewritten most of them over my Christmas vacation and I'm super excited to share it with you guys! We left off in the hospital wing after Harry passed out in his DADA lesson. Hope you enjoy and please review if you have a minute!**

Lupin gawked at the matron, surprised at her trick.

"The boy has been avoiding me all week, he looks awful. I just want to give him a quick once over and perhaps a pepper up potion before he can escape." She explained brusquely. The new professor nodded and looked down at the boy sleeping soundly on the bed who was now being fussed over by Pomfrey. _Just like his father_ , Lupin thought. James had also had a particular aversion to spending any amount of time in the hospital wing as well.

He watched as the matron undid the boy's collar in order to allow her to check his chest and heart. She slipped her wand over his collarbone before screwing up her nose with a puzzled expression on her face. She reached down and pulled his collar down further to reveal very slight, but still noticeable, yellow and green bruises. Lupin looked up at her in alarm.

"A fight perhaps?" Lupin suggested. Pomfrey shook her head,

"He's not the type. More than likely it's just another Quidditch injury which he's insisted on hiding from me...it wouldn't be the first time." She replied huffily. _Definitely his fathers son then,_ Lupin thought with a smile.

Lupin turned to leave, deciding he didn't want to be around to experience Harry's consternation when he woke. The matron removed Harry's jumper, shirt and tie with a flick of her wand. Lupin was almost at the door of the hospital wing when he heard a gasp from behind him. He hurried back over towards the bed to a sight which made him feel sick to the stomach. Harry's chest was covered in half healed welts and bruises. He looked like he had been beaten limb from limb. The pair of them stood silent, too shocked to speak.

"Please don't tell me this is what I think it is" suggested Lupin, hope creeping into his voice. Pomfrey shrugged.

"Perhaps he got into a fight. But the age of these cuts suggest to me that this happened over the summer holidays." She replied quietly.

"He could've been bullied perhaps?" Lupin said softly, not wanting to believe the exaplanations filling his mind.

As if in reply, Pomfrey took the boys shoulders in her hands and turned Harry over. His back was littered with marks which looked suspiciously like a belt buckle. Poppy let out an odd noise, sounding almost like a barely stifled sob. Lupin simply stared at the floor, unable to look at his best friends son. He apologised to James and Lily internally for his complete and utter failure, for his inability to protect their only child. The room was silent for a long time before Pomfrey began work healing as much as she possibly could. Once she had finished, she waved her wand and a tea tray floated over. She poured each of them a cup from her teapot and then she sunk into the nearest chair, looking exhausted. Finally, Lupin spoke,

"His relatives?" He asked.

"Most likely," Pomfrey said, gravely. "He had several broken ribs which I had to fix. The headmaster will need to be informed so that the relevant authorities can investigate."

Lupin nodded slowly before rising from his chair. He rested a hand on the matrons shoulder for a moment before turning on his heel and storming towards the headmasters office. With every step he took, rage slowly filled his insides. His breath hitched in his throat every time he thought about the image of the defenceless child lying on the bed, completely helpless. He half spat the password and found himself hammering on the office door with a tightly clenched fist. He didn't wait for a response, simply deciding to turn the handle and fling the door open.

"His relatives." Lupin said quietly with no explanation, his voice barely containing the anger threatening to overflow from within him. Dumbledore looked up from his desk, completely baffled at the intrusion.

"Sorry, Remus?" He coaxed gently.

"Harry's relatives. They...they..," Lupin stuttered, unable to put into words the horror of his suspicions. It was then that he noticed Snape as he moved from his spot at the windowsill towards Lupin. The potions masters lips were curled into a tight smirk, his eyes dancing with amusement.

"What's the brat complaining about now? The muggles don't treat him like the lord and saviour which the entirely delusional wizarding world think he is? Do they not kiss his feet often enough? Or is it that they simply have the audacity to not roll a red carpet out every time the boy returns home?" Snape said cooly.

"Snape" Lupin growled, taking a step towards him menacingly with his teeth bared and nostrils flared. He looked every bit like the wolf that he transformed into once a month. Dumbledore stood up and came round his desk to put a hand on Lupin's shoulder in warning.

"What has happened, Remus?" He said calmly but firmly, his eyes demanding answers. Lupin sighed and slunk into the nearest chair. He placed his head in his hands and crunched up his body.

"They've been beating him, Albus" said Lupin quietly. Dumbledore joined the man by sinking into a chair himself, sighing gently.

"Oh, come off it." Snape drawled. "Just another cock-and-bull story Potter is using to get attention."

Lupin's entire body stiffened and he looked up at Snape defiantly.

"Legilimens" he whispered softly. He caught Snape unawares and felt his mind easily pushing through Snape's barriers, fuelled by his own rage. He forced the images of a broken and beaten Harry Potter into Snape's vision. It took only seconds for Snape's occlumency abilities to force Lupin from his mind but that was all Lupin had needed. He watched as Snape too sunk into a chair, joining Dumbledore and Lupin. They sat in silence for some time until Dumbledore spoke.

"I will need to speak to Harry regarding how he would like this to be dealt with" said the headmaster gravely. Lupin's head shot up.

"Well, what is there to decide...his relatives need to be taken into custody, surely?" He said incredulously.

"Yes, but I fear that may not be in Harry's best interest. As much as I would like the Dursley's to be locked up in Azkaban and the key thrown away...if the press gets ahold of any of it then I dread to think how Harry would react."

"They can't go unpunished for this, Albus." Lupin said quietly.

"Oh, they won't. I'll see to that." Snape said darkly. Lupin looked at Snape, surprised at the man's sudden change in attitude but chose to not question it.

"What in Merlin's name made you think putting them with Lily's family was a good idea in the first place?" Lupin spat. "We all knew they hated magic...didn't even come to the wedding."

"I never...I never once thought they would harm the child. I had hoped compassion would prevail and they might take him in as their own." Dumbledore sighed. Snape snorted in response.

"Petunia didn't have a compassionate bone in her body, even as a child." He added when Dumbledore and Lupin looked at him in confusion.

The three men sat for some time before Dumbledore rose from his chair.

"Where is Harry now, Remus?" He asked.

"Still in the hospital wing, I presume. Poppy gave him a sleeping draft but he should wake up fairly shortly." Lupin replied, sitting upright in his chair to look at Dumbledore.

"I would like for you to return to the hospital wing and bring him up to my office when he wakes him up." Dumbledore said, moving back to sit at his desk. "I would advise that you aren't present Severus, I don't think Harry would appreciate it. I will, however, ensure that you are kept updated."

Severus nodded curtly and swept from the room. Lupin made to get up when Dumbledore added,

"How will he ever forgive me, Remus?"

Lupin shivered and replied sadly

"How will Lily and James ever forgive me?"

The two men locked eyes, both filled with guilt and sadness. Lupin cleared his throat and stepped into the fireplace. With a pinch of floo powder and a green flame, the young professor was gone. Dumbledore laced his hands together before sending a patronus to Minerva McGonangal. He supposed Harry's head of house would need to be aware of the situation. When the stern Professor arrived at his office he gestured for her to take a seat. He summoned a cup of tea which floated into the woman's hand.

"What's this about, Albus?" She looked at him, quizzically. "You only ever make me tea if it's bad news."

"It's Harry." He said.

"What's the boy done this time?" She questioned, rolling her eyes.

"His relatives..." He paused, knowing that the woman was about to go nuclear.

"Yes, nasty bunch...never liked the idea. Go on..." McGonagall said, her head tilting in confusion.

"It would seem that they have been beating Harry." Dumbledore said sadly, his voice wracked with guilt.

"WHAT?!" She said, rising to her feet. She had seemingly forgotten she was holding a cup of tea which had now spilt everywhere. She didn't even notice as Dumbledore cleaned her robes with a wave of his hand. She began pacing the office, taking deep steadying breaths to calm herself down.

"I told you!" She said bitterly, "I told you that were horrible people, not fit to look after a child."

Dumbledore nodded his head, "I knew they weren't the nicest of people, Lily very rarely spoke of her estranged muggle sister. But none of us could have ever predicted that they'd do this..." he trailed off.

"He will not be returning to them. I give you my word on that, headmaster." The woman spoke up, fiercely.

"Of course, Minerva." Dumbledore said sadly. "He will never go back to Privet Drive."

McGonagall seemed to calm slightly at his words and returned to her chair, sitting in it stiffly.

"Where is he? Potter, I mean?" She asked brisquely.

"In the hospital wing. Poppy had to give him a sleeping draft just so she could examine him. Remus is going to bring him up here when he wakes up." The headmaster replied.

"I would like to be present for that conversation, Albus." McGonagall said quietly. Dumbledore simply nodded before adding,

"Perhaps it would be wise for you to go wait in the hospital wing as well to help convince Harry to come up here...I am sure he will be agitated when he realises that we know about his relatives treatment of him."

McGonagall rose to her feet and bustled to the fireplace.

When she arrived in the hospital wing she found Lupin sat on a chair by Harry's bed, his head in his hands. She walked quickly over to the man, placing a hand on his shoulder. The man looked up, his eyes were red-rimmed and filled with tears. She sat down next to him and said quietly,

"This isn't your fault, Remus."

"How can it not be? I failed Lily and James' only son?" The man whispered bitterly.

"We have all failed him, in one way or another. You mustn't blame yourself. We thought placing Harry there was where he would be most protected." She said.

"How very wrong we were." Remus said sadly.

"Indeed. The one place we thought he would be safest was, in fact, where he was in the most danger." McGonagall said in a pensive tone. It was then that the boy on the bed began to stir.

"Harry?" Remus said softly.

Harry's eyes burst open. His mind felt fuzzy and it took him a few moments before he realised he was in the hospital wing. Standing over him was Lupin and McGonagall.

' _Why are they here?'_ Harry thought _'More importantly...why am I here?'_

Suddenly, all of the memories of the day came flooding back to him. He had been in DADA class...Lupin had brought him here...Pomfrey had given him a sleeping potion.

Harry's brain was screaming at him, he sat bolt upright as his body filled with panic. They know. They must know. About what the Dursley's had done to him. And about what he had done to himself. He felt the overwhelming desire to run as far away as he possibly could. He made to swing his legs over the side of the bed and peg it out of the hospital wing but he found himself unable to move. McGonagall had immobilised him with a flick of her wand. He looked up at his professors, his eyes full of fear.

"Potter, you will be coming with us to the Headmasters office. You're not in any trouble." McGonagall said sternly.

"And if I don't?" Harry said defiantly.

"Come on now, Harry...everyone's just trying to help." Lupin said softly.

"You can't help. No one can." Harry spat bitterly, straining against the magical bonds his head of house had placed on him.

"You will never be going back there, Potter. I won't allow it. You will never see your relatives ever again...you have my word." McGonagall said.

Harry looked at her quizzically. So they did know about the Dursley's at least... but what about his arms?

"You know?" Harry said.

"We believe your relatives have been abusing you, yes. Is that correct, Harry?" Lupin said gently, placing a hand on Harry's arm. If they did know about his habit, they were keeping very quiet about it indeed. Harry sat in silence for a moment, considering his options. Perhaps if he cooperated with this, he could blame his behaviour and mood on this and they might never notice everything else.

"Yes." Said Harry quietly.

Lupin and McGonagall looked at each other, their worst fears confirmed.

"Now...do we need to levitate you to the headmasters office, or can I trust you with your limbs?" Professor McGonagall asked, quirking one eyebrow at the pupil in front of her.

"I'll walk." Harry said.

And with that, the three of them left the hospital wing. Lupin kept a hand loosely on Harry's shoulder, as if he didn't quite trust him not to bolt at any given moment. Harry couldn't help but feel a deep sense of dread akin to what he imagined walking to his own execution might feel like. His heart pounded in his chest and his stomach felt like it might decide to empty its contents at any given moment. When they reached the headmasters office, Harry shuffled his feet nervously. He looked up as Professor McGonagall smiled gently and ushered Harry up the staircase. When they reached the door Harry took a deep breath to build up his courage and raised his hand to knock.

"Come in"


End file.
